Selling a home is a key part of what real estate agent's do. In fact, it's largely what makes up their livelihood. But you already know that. Are you struggling with a stubborn seller? Agents dealing with tricky listings need all the help they can get to keep business moving, communication open, and their reputation in high regard so that referrals keep coming.
Keep the Ball Rolling
If at all possible, keep the ball rolling. Even if momentum slows down, you don't want any potential buyers or their agents to think that the seller has cold feet. This will only get them less interested in your property and then you might have a sitting duck listing on your hands.
So, keep marketing your listing, if an open house is scheduled - do your best to make sure that it happens. If a seller wants to cancel the open house or take their listing off the market, within reason, do your best to negotiate with them. Something made them want to sell in the first place, remind them of that.
Of course, you never want to be pushy and earn the reputation of an agent who doesn't really listen. Be sure to hear your client out and do what is best for them at the end of the day.
Talk It Out
Sellers who have owned their home for a long time are notorious for having unrealistic expectations. This makes sense when you think about it, there is a lot of emotion tied up into one's home. So, be sure to have empathy and patience when navigating these tricky waters with your seller.
Our number one tip is to talk it out. Make sure your sellers feel like you know where they're coming from.
Maybe your stubborn seller really wants to sell, there's no evidence of cold feet, but they're perhaps too motivated. This sounds impossible but sometimes stubborn sellers only want to entertain offers that the market just doesn't support right now. For example, with interest rates climbing - less and less bidding wars are occurring right now. But, low inventory still bodes well for sellers.
If a seller is being very specific about the offers they'll accept, there really isn't much to do except be sure to let buyers agent's know this ahead of time. You can gently remind your seller about the realities of their situation, but be careful not to let them think you as the agent are incompetent. Don't forget to show them the comps and other listings that are going for reasonable prices that way they know the facts too.
There's a fine line when it comes to handling a stubborn seller but even inexperienced agents can follow these best practices.
Have a comment, tip, or concern?
Thanks for reading Elite Informer! Here's more where that came from.